Hydrolyzable Tannin Biosynthesis in Plants

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Hydrolyzable tannins are a group of plant polyphenolic compounds that act as chemical defenses against microbes, insects and vertebrate herbivores. Hydrolyzable tannins also impact soil nutrient dynamics and affect the germination, growth and development of other plant species. Besides imparting astringent taste sensations, hydrolyzable tannins also enhance the nutritional quality of plant foods due to their antioxidant, anticancer and cardioprotective activities. Despite these important functions that hydrolyzable tannins play in plants and humans, large and significant gaps remain in our understanding of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms underlying hydrolyzable tannin biosynthesis in plants. This project will investigate the key enzymatic steps leading to hydrolyzable tannin biosynthesis using strawberry and pomegranate as model systems. Cloning of hydrolyzable tannin biosynthetic genes will facilitate modification of plant composition for improved protein utilization in forage crops. Underpinning hydrolyzable tannin biogenesis will also broaden our understanding of plant defense mechanisms, as well as plant-soil and plant-plant (allelopathic) interactions. Broader ImpactsIn addition to the scientific impacts, various aspects of the research will be used to provide multidisciplinary training opportunities, encompassing molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology, to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, and postdoctoral scholars. The educational activities at the undergraduate level will be focused on three areas: providing research opportunities to new UC Davis transfer students, promoting career access among women and underrepresented minority students, and retaining students from low-income families. Another major focus of the educational activities is to prepare graduate students and postdoctoral scholars for their future independent careers in science. An outreach program is currently being developed to expose high school students to research activities and biotechnological applications through internships in the PI's laboratory.